Impassioned Hearts
by Shiko-Rae
Summary: Caroline never would have thought that the condescending asshat would end up being a man she could never regret knowing.


_Caroline never would have thought that the condescending asshat would end up being a man she could never regret knowing._

* * *

Caroline flashed a brilliant smile.

"Thank you! Take a complimentary cookie." She deposited a wax paper wrapped cookie in the guy's hand as she continued, "I look forward to seeing you at our annual 5k!" A parting flutter of her lashes and a strategic bearing of a hint of cleavage sent the guy off in a bit of a daze.

Sweets and a pretty girl truly went a long way in college.

"-hot and sweaty for charity. Maybe get the chance to flash those…abs, hm?"

She tuned out the sarcastic and far less enthusiastic drawls of her best friend Kat with a mental note to have words with her later. That girl's Manolo Blahniks were in for a cruel, painful demise if this is what she considered helping. Caroline let out a small huff before whirling to face the next student to cross her path.

She blinked, a little taken aback by the attractive features of her next mark. Blond curls, blue eyes, a fine jawline sporting just the right amount of scruff, and raspberry red lips. Unconsciously, she licked her own. Now, this was a man she wouldn't mind flirting with. A slight shake of her head got her back in the game. _Focus_ , she chided herself.

"Hello," she chirped, "we're holding our annual-"

"Sorry, sweetheart, not interested." The British accent was a surprise and quite charming, the words? Not so much. She caught the quick once over he gave her. She was a little impressed that his eyes only lingered on her legs and breasts for a moment before returning her gaze. "Besides aren't you a little old to be selling girl scout cookies?"

Okay. Respect gone. Now, she was pissed. And she could do without the snide condescension too, Asshat.

Caroline jabbed a pink manicured nail in his direction.

"Alright, first of all, I'm not selling girl scout cookies. As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted, this is our annual 5k awareness run for breast cancer. We partner with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and schedule our event a few weeks before theirs to keep participants active."

She watched surprised wash across his face, lips parting as if he were going to interrupt a second time , and she plowed right over him. Her volume raised a fraction higher, her gestures packed a bit more vehemence.

"Secondly, that you would mistake simple sugar cookies for the deliciousness of Samoas or Thin Mints is the very height of ignorance, and frankly a sin. I feel sorry for you."

Taking a few steps closer to actually jab her nail into his chest, her eyes dark with anger and disgust, she concluded her tirade.

"And finally, yes, I was a girl scout and an achiever of the national gold award. _Thank you very much_ . I founded this organization and we may be small, but I'm proud to say that 100% of our proceeds go to funding breast cancer research or supporting struggling patients and their families by helping pay for treatment, groceries, rent, utilities, medications, and transportation. In five years, we've raised over $875,000 so you can take your narrow-minded, misogynistic, asinine assumptions and shove them up your ass."

Her last words came out as a hiss and she kept her glaring eyes boring into his.

A moment passed, and she washed the expression from her face. He wasn't worth the energy of feeling angry. Caroline gave his chest a pat and offered up a sickly, sweet smile.

"You have a lovely day now."

She went to pivot on her heel intending to strut away with a perfectly executed dramatic hair flip, some of her normal demeanor returning, but a hand on her shoulder halted her mid-whirl (which, rude ). It didn't attempt to restrain her and as soon as she stopped turning away it retreated.

Caroline eyed him with impatient disdain, not willing to soften a few degrees even in the face of his regretful expression. Seeing he had her attention a pair of dimples emerged and he offered her a tiny but genuine apologetic smile. There was a surprising amount of shame in his eyes, which was the only reason she heard him out.

"Wait, love, that was poorly done of me. How can I acquit myself?"

Skeptical, but not one to lose an opportunity, she slapped a small pile of flyers against his chest. He let out a quiet omph at the unexpected motion and managed to catch the papers before they fell.

"I'll see you at the 5k with at least," she drew a vague air circle around the papers awkwardly held to his chest, "that many others. Then we'll talk, but right now I have no time to chat."

This time she successfully completed her dramatic whirl without interruption.

* * *

"Stagger the placement of those water tables. This is a 5k people, not your grandmother's competitive walking class!"

Caroline would never have guessed this was their 6th 5k event with how incompetent everyone was! God, did she have to do everything herself?!

Although she did have to give Dimpled- Maybe -Not-Completely-An-Asshat some credit. Begrudgingly. He had shown up about an hour ago, a few minutes early even, and managed to bring as many volunteers as she had demanded.

* * *

Most of her temporary staff had returned home, leaving only the most dedicated to help with clean up. It was a bit vexing, but that feeling was overruled by a deep sense of pride and accomplishment. This year's 5k had been the most successful one yet, raising an unexpectedly high sum of $326,575, almost a third of their previous total earnings combined! Caroline couldn't contain a little joyful shimmy as she flitted around.

Her good mood took a hit when she was interrupted by an unexpected voice.

"So love, how am I doing?" Surprised he was still here, and flustered to have been caught so unguarded, she spun to face him.

She crossed her arms and pasted a slight scowl on her face, prepared with a sharp-tongued retort. When she actually got a look at him though, while her stance didn't outwardly soften, she couldn't fully maintain her negativity. She could clearly see he had put legitimate effort in, which mattered far more to her than his initial poor attitude and seemingly empty promises. Not only was he still here, but she could see the glisten of sweat on his body. He hadn't just stood around and looked pretty, hoping to impress her by fulfilling the bare minimum of her request.

Still, it wouldn't due to be _too_ easy on him.

"You were…perfect, which is so beyond annoying!"

He just smirked at her, "Apologies, love, am I making it hard for you to maintain your facade of displeasure?"

Scoffing, she returned, "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for your help, but it doesn't erase your horrid first impression."

"Take a chance then, and get to know me. I dare you."

Well, she never could resist a dare. And he had provided a lot of help, when she assumed he wouldn't have shown up at all.

As it turned out, he could be a decent conversation partner. It didn't hurt that while they bantered, he continued to assist in the clean up too.

…And she may have ended up with his number in her phone.

* * *

Rain beat down relentlessly, falling so quickly and in such volume that a veritable wall of water appeared before her. She had an umbrella of course - she was always prepared - but her car was still a fair distance away. Between the wind and the sheer amount of water, it wouldn't be enough.

Letting out a groan, she muttered an irritated, "Seriously?"

It wasn't that she was in a rush. For the first time in a while, her schedule was clear, but that was precisely the point! Her last class had just let out, and the normal evening discussion was canceled. There were no club meetings today and it was her first free Friday in several weeks.

Stuck under a minuscule awning was not how she intended to spend it. While she could make a run for it, she also had no desire to pour herself, clad in clothes of varying degrees of soaked, damp, and moist, into her car. Everyone else had already taken shelter or was rushing past, willing to endure the rain. Even trying for the next building over would get her soaked.

She couldn't even go inside to wait it out either. When she had left the sky had only been a foreboding purple-gray, and it didn't start to rain until about halfway to the parking garage. Even then, it had only been a normal drizzle. When the downpour had truly started she had just managed to make it under the shelter of the awning. Unfortunately, the doors it was in front of locked from the inside. She had tried knocking, but it wasn't a building that saw a lot of regular foot traffic and no one had answered.

Ruminating some more in her disgruntled thoughts, she didn't see the blur that came charging through the rain. Just as she contemplated the merits of calling an uber to take her a few blocks to her car and whether she could make that distance without ruining her clothes with water, she finally noticed said blur when it half collided with her! She barely avoiding being tossed into the downpour.

Furious, she whirled around, prepared to eviscerate whatever moron plowed into her. "Hey! Could you try for more coordination than a drunken- _Klaus_?!"

And it was Klaus. She hadn't seen him since they lightly flirted at the end of the 5k. Sure, they'd exchanged a few texts, but he didn't seem to share any of her classes so nothing more had come of it. She wasn't even fully sure if she wanted anything to either.

So, his sudden reappearance was startling to say the least, especially as he was soaking wet and hunched over a jacket bundle cradled to his chest.

"Klaus, what the hell?"

Looking up he seemed just as surprised to see her, though he quickly recovered. "Caroline," he smirked as he straightened, dripping all over the tiny, formerly dry, spot.

She raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

His expression turned a little sheepish. "I apologize for barreling into you, love." He shifted his arms a little as if offering their contents for inspection. "Our final portfolios need to include multiple mediums including photography. I hadn't exactly planned for the sudden rain to attempt to fry some very expensive equipment."

Caroline just grumbled.

"Okay, whatever, Klaus. Just don't drip all over me."

"Of course not, sweetheart."

She could hear the tinge of amusement in his voice and she sent a glare in his direction. It didn't subdue him at all. Instead, lips quirked in a half-smirk, he just continued on. Turning to set his bundle down, he peeled away the jacket to reveal a mildly damp equipment bag. He shook some of the water off the coat, corners of his lips twitching as he pointedly turned away from her.

Caroline just huffed.

…Although she had to admit she was curious.

"So, you're an artist?"

Klaus glanced up from where he had crouched to check over his things. He nodded, almost seeming shy as his eyes flicked away before meeting her gaze again.

"I prefer traditional mediums myself. Oils, pencil, charcoal." He gave a slight shrug. "Photography is fine, I suppose, but it's impersonal. Lacks the intimacy of a brush or pencil in your hand. The complete command of the piece."

Caroline blinked, not really expecting that answer. Although she wasn't sure what she had been expecting.

"Could I see some of your work? I mean, if you're comfortable with that. I know some artists don't really like showcasing their art. I mean except for the pieces that they do. Obviously. Like in galleries." Caroline's mouth snapped shut with a click, embarrassed by her awkward word vomit. (Seriously, what was that!? God, you're not fourteen anymore, Caroline. Get it together!)

She was thankful when Klaus didn't comment on it, though she could see the way he pursed his lips to suppress laughter. He turned away as he caught her stare, shoulders giving a suspicious little quiver, and rummaged around in one of his bag's side compartments, withdrawing a leather-bound book. Composure regained, he faced her again and passed it over.

"My sketchbook," he said nodding to it, "you can flip through it, if you like."

Her fingers skimmed over the plain cover, and began to thumb through each of the drawings. They were stunning. Not that she thought he would be a poor artist, but even her untrained eye could appreciate his skill. Every piece contained an astonishing amount of detail and she lingered on each drawing for several silent moments.

Sunlight through the branches of an oak tree.

A hunting wolf.

A hummingbird.

Several portraits of people she didn't recognize. A blonde teenage girl. A blonde woman. Two different dark haired men, and a third who appeared younger, around her age.

She continued to flip through, finding more and more images, each as stunning as the last.

And then she found one of her own face. Taken aback she glanced between Klaus' apprehensive face and the drawing. It was her, looking fierce and determined, and maybe a little angry.

He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous gesture, but his eyes looked earnest as she peered into them.

"You made quite the impression, love."

"When did you even do this?" She wasn't offended by the drawing, quite the opposite. It was flattering to see such a striking version of her committed to paper.

"Not long after you chewed me out about your 5k actually. I found myself quite inspired."

She refused to apologize for that outburst.

"You deserved it," she bit her lip, "but I am glad I gave you a second chance. You're not entirely terrible."

Klaus just chuckled, "Well, would you consider allowing this not entirely terrible person to take you out sometime?"

She had to admit that was pretty smooth.

After considering her free weekend, she asked, "Are you free Sunday?"

* * *

" _Starbucks_? Really, sweetheart?" Klaus groaned.

"Yes, really," Caroline drawled, not giving an inch and refusing to feel ashamed of the things she enjoyed. "You asked me on a date and said I could choose where."

"This wasn't quite what I had in mind," he groused under his breath.

"What was that? You can't wait to have some Starbucks? Great, me too!" She grabbed his arm and marched them toward the already forming line. A smirk painted itself across her face when she heard him release another groan, but capitulate, his arm only giving one half-hearted tug.

Caroline offered a perky smile to the barista.

"One grande salted caramel mocha, please."

She turned to look at Klaus, catching him mid-grimace. He hurriedly smoothed his expression, eyes scanning over the menu.

"Uh, a dark roast coffee."

"Would you like that as a short, tall, grande, or venti, sir?"

Klaus' brow furrowed in mild confusion.

"Tall?" He finally settled on, a hint of questioning still in his voice.

"Together or separate?" The girl asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Together," Caroline chimed, pulling out her credit card. Catching the look of protest on Klaus' face she muttered to him, "I picked the location kinda figuring it wouldn't be your thing, so I'll pay."

He visibly hesitated, whispering back, "My mother would kill me…"

Caroline just lightly snorted.

"Well, she's not here. And it is the twenty-first century, women can pay the bill if they want to." Klaus still looked mulish about it. "If it really bothers you that much, you can pay for the next one, okay?"

Perking up, Klaus whispered back, "Next one?"

She rolled her eyes, finally handing her card over to the amused, but impatient barista.

"If you're lucky."

"If I could have your names?" The barista interjected.

"Klaus."

"Caroline."

"Okay," she paused, entering the information, "They'll call you when it's ready. Have a nice day!"

Accepting her card back with a thanks and a smile, the two wandered away to find a table.

"Now, what was this about the next one?"

"Keep this up buddy, and the best you'll get is a movie where I can put three seat between us."

Klaus held his hands up in surrender, an amused expression back on his face.

* * *

"'Claude' and 'Karen'?"

His face contorted with disbelief.

Caroline waved it off, "Part of the experience. I'm like 99% sure they have a competition for who can get it the most wrong without making it unrecognizable."

"I can understand 'Klaus,' but 'Caroline'?"

She just laughed. A moment later she nearly snorted her drink out her nose when Klaus took a sip of his own. The expression he made was priceless.

"Bloody Americans. How do you drink this swill?"

She shook her own drink in reply.

"Well, I don't. I come here for the caffeine and this delicious caramel goodness, not the "pure" coffee."

Klaus raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You can't be telling me that tastes better?"

"That is precisely what I am telling you," she retorted. After a moment, she reluctantly tilted her cup toward him, an invitation to try it.

Equally reluctant, Klaus reached over to accept the cup and take a sip. His face didn't immediately contort as it did for the coffee, but he didn't exactly look pleased either.

"I suppose it's better. Certainly different…"

Caroline huffed, snatching her drink back and briefly cradling the cup to her chest before taking a healthy sip of her own.

"I suppose your snobby, British self is going to espouse the greatness of tea, now?" She asked after swallowing her sip.

"That goes without saying, love."

Caroline rolled her eyes.

* * *

"We are _not_ going to Starbucks again."

Caroline just giggled in response to his vehement refusal.

Their next date was indeed not at Starbucks.

* * *

 _Caroline, are you busy, love? -Klaus_

 _no class just ended -Caroline_

 _y? - Caroline_

 _Would you like to have lunch with me? - Klaus_

 _My treat. - Klaus_

 _k - Caroline_

 _Where? - Caroline_

 _Parm? - Klaus_

 _yeah i could go for sandwiches - Caroline_

The two arrived within a few minutes of one another, quickly managing to order and settle at one of the tables by the front window.

"You know," Caroline started, having finished a bite of her Chicken Parmesan hero, "considering how snobby you were about Starbucks I almost expected some upscale restaurant."

"I considered it," he admitted, "but _somehow_ I got the impression it wouldn't impress you. That's really more to 'Lijah's taste anyway. My brother," he clarified at Caroline's questioning look.

She shrugged.

"Only child."

Klaus snorted.

"You're lucky."

Her eyebrows raised.

"Is he really so awful?"

Klaus gave a bark of laughter.

"Elijah? No, he's just a buzzkill, that one. It's the rest of the madhouse that is my family, love, I have five siblings."

"Jeez, five?!" Caroline cried, incredulous. _Was birth control not a thing?_ Thankfully, her brain to mouth filter was working, for once, and her thought remained silent.

Klaus nodded. "Freya, Finn, Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah."

"Wait," Caroline asked, a thought popping into her head, "were they all the other portraits in your sketchbook?"

"Not just a pretty face." He was Impressed and flattered that she had paid enough attention to his drawings to remember that. "Freya's the eldest. She's married to her wife, Keelin." Klaus stressed the word wife, leveling a challenging look in her direction.

She met his stare evenly.

"I don't have a problem with the LGBTQ+ community, Klaus. It'd be pretty hypocritical considering how much shit my hometown gave me when my dad skipped out on my mom with his boyfriend."

"Oh?"

She waved off his curiosity, not quite having meant to blurt that much out. (Thanks filter!) "I mean I'm over it now. Mostly. I understand how hard it must have been for him, I really do. I just wish he had been less...I don't know? Duplicitous about it, I guess."

Sensing it was still a touchy subject, despite her objection, Klaus just inclined his head in acknowledgement, picking up where he left off. She shot him a thankful look and took another bite of her sandwich.

"Then there's Finn. A complete bore. He's also married with two red-headed hellions for children. Elijah. Me. Kol. The most obnoxious pain in the arse. And lastly, Rebekah. She's a bit of a brat, if I'm honest." Despite his words, Klaus tone was a mix of exasperated and fond. Caroline smiled, warmed by his obvious regard for them.

They spent the rest of their lunch break casually chatting. Caroline was honestly surprised when she realized she had to run to her next class. Departing with promises to meet up again, a third date turned into a fourth, into a fifth, until she stopped keeping track altogether.

* * *

"So, Carebear, when were you planning on telling me you got a new boyfriend?"

"What? Kat! I don't have one."

"Pft, please, so I'm just imagining the gooey eyes you make at your phone these days."

" Gooey eyes ? I don't make gooey eyes."

Kat aimed a very skeptical look in her direction.

"…Okay, one I don't make gooey eyes of any sort. Two, I don't have a boyfriend. But," she ignored Kat's smug I knew it, "there is a guy I've been talking with lately. We had a few casual dates. That's all."

"You keep telling yourself that, Forbes, you keep telling yourself that."

* * *

Caroline's eyes were focused on her professor, but his voice was a wordless drone in her ear. Yes, the literary analysis of War and Peace was surely very important, but she couldn't seem to find an attention span at the moment. Thankfully, she wasn't actually missing anything. There were a few acquaintances who would be willing to share notes with her if she asked and she was also recording the lecture. She'd transcribe his words later if she had to.

She found her eyes drifting to her open laptop, a mostly blank notes page on one side and Amazon on the other. She had been doing some preliminary browsing for Christmas shopping, it was never too early to start after all. Her mom. Kat. Her father. His partner, Steven. And potentially Klaus. Drumming the pads of her fingers, she was brainstorming a few other ideas, when a notification caught her attention.

A text from Klaus? Although, she hadn't heard from him yet today, so it wasn't particularly unusual.

 _Hi, sweetheart. - Klaus_

 _Hey - Caroline_

 _You're technically interrupting my Fundamentals of Classic Literature course - Caroline_

 _I'd apologize, love, but you don't seem to be paying it much attention. - Klaus_

 _Yeah not really so what are you up to? - Caroline_

 _Just thinking of you, love. - Klaus_

 _God your lines are really awful sometimes it's a wonder you date anyone - Caroline_

 _No need to insult yourself, sweetheart, I'm dating you aren't I? -Klaus_

Caroline was a little startled by his seemingly casual use of the word "dating." I mean they were dating, but she hadn't been sure if they were dating yet. It felt like her heart gave a little flutter and she shook her head at the cliche of it all.

 _I suppose you are. Well didn't you get lucky? - Caroline_

 _I know I did, Caroline. - Klaus_

Caroline blushed, not expecting his genuine response when she was being so facetious.

 _But actually I did have something to ask you. - Klaus_

She watched as the three typing dots appeared and disappeared, flickering up and down a few times, and wondered what his question was that left him out of sorts.

 _I was hoping you would be willing to model for me. - Klaus_

Caroline quirked an eyebrow, not that he could see it.

 _I think it's a bit soon to draw me like one of your French girls, Jack. - Caroline_

 _Oh, sweetheart, what a delightful image that is. - Klaus_

 _But, unfortunately that's not what I meant. - Klaus_

 _Well, unless you want to? - Klaus_

 _lol nice try what did you want me to do? - Caroline_

* * *

Caroline looked around curiously as she stepped into Klaus' apartment, shedding her coat as she moved. Shutting the door, Klaus maneuvered behind her to take her coat and hang it in the entryway closet.

"Thanks," she muttered still mostly focused on her surroundings. It was a nicer apartment than what she would expect from a grad student. As far from a studio as an apartment could be. From what she could see, the front hallway lead into a fairly wide living room, beyond which she could glimpse what looked like a fully functional and spacious kitchen

Noting her curiosity, Klaus offered her a brief tour, and the complex was even larger than she had thought. Klaus had the master bedroom with an attached bath. But there was a second guest room a few doors down, a hallway bathroom, a small office space, and even a partial loft upstairs that served as his studio.

Caroline absently wondering how he afforded all this as she wandered around his studio space, admiring the paintings and sketches scattered around the area.

Shaking her head to dislodge her thoughts, she turned to face him.

"Right, so how are we doing this?"

"Just sit here, love," he said as he maneuvered a chair into the center of the room.

"No special pose or anything?"

He shook his head.

"Whatever position is comfortable for you. My goal is to try to capture you as candidly as possible."

Caroline frowned.

"I don't know how natural I'll look when I know you're staring at me in order to paint me."

Klaus offered a thoughtful nod.

"I could get you something to read if you like? Or, knowing you, you'd like to get ahead on your work. Typing or writing won't cause enough movement to alter your position too much."

"I suppose that should work," Caroline uttered thoughtfully, strolling toward the stairs to fetch her laptop.

* * *

She honestly had intended to get a jump on her pesky Chem homework (stupid gen eds! And no, despite what some people thought, she was not a ditsy blonde. Chemistry wasn't a breeze, but it wasn't hard and she understood the material fine. She simply had zero interest in it.)

Unfortunately, Klaus painting her ended up being more of a distraction than she thought it would. And unlike she had half-expected, his gaze wasn't lustful at all, instead it was incredibly intense . She could almost feel it as a physical weight as it scanned across her body, absorbing the details of her features.

She hadn't really understood when Klaus had mentioned that drawing and painting felt intimate to him. Now, she did. Even though Caroline wasn't doing anything except sitting there, it felt as if she and Klaus were the only two people in the world. Every stroke of his brush, every shift of his eyes to her figure, felt like the creation of an inexplicable connection between the two of them, somehow blurring the edges of the division between them.

* * *

"I see you found a muse."

Klaus' pursed his lips, brush freezing an inch from the canvas. Very carefully, he lowered his hand. Not bothering to turn, he continued to stare at his half-formed painting, a burst of gold against a skyline, the beginning of a womanly silhouette. He spared a moment to be thankful that this was the only painting of her in sight.

"What nonsense has Lucien been feeding to you, Marcel?"

Klaus heard footsteps treading closer, until they came to a stop just behind him. A noise between a huff and a scoff sounded above his shoulder.

"Nonsense? I thought so too. Now, I'm not so sure."

Still refusing to turn and acknowledge his determined intruder, Klaus lifted his brush again and resumed making careful strokes.

Marcel chucked.

"Well, just a warning, I'm not the only one Lucien has been "feeding nonsense" to."

* * *

"Caroline Forbes?" A younger blonde inquired, head tilted in an oddly predatory fashion.

She looked familiar.

It took a moment, but Caroline made the connection. In her defense, with her blank expression and cold eyes, the other blonde was a far cry from the images of a beaming smile or radiant laughter.

She must have caught the flash of recognition in Caroline's eyes, for she continued before Caroline could reply.

"I suppose you're a step up from the normal bimbos my brother dated. But I really don't get what he sees in you. You're not that pretty. Nothing special." The girl flashed a nasty smirk in her direction, but her eyes were pure calculation.

Caroline just shook her head, startled but not offended.

"Look, Rebekah, right? I think it's kinda admirable that you're defending your brother so fiercely, but Klaus is a big boy and he can make his own decisions. But even though I'm not going to let you intimidate me into letting him go or something, I don't want to fight with you either."

Rebekah arched an eyebrow.

"Nice speech. Do you want to braid my hair and make friendship bracelets now?"

Caroline just sighed.

"You don't have to like me. I don't have to like you. As long as we understand each other: I'm not going anywhere unless your brother and I have a massive falling out. I don't abandon the people I care for."

"We'll see," Rebekah spoke somberly before strutting away. Not bothering with a goodbye of any kind.

"Well, _that_ just happened," Caroline grumbled to herself.

* * *

"Nik! Just the brother I wanted to see."

Klaus barely refrained from pinching the bridge of his nose and groaning like he wanted to. Unfortunately, that would only give Kol more ammunition.

"What is it, Kol?" If there was a slight bite to his tone, well that was to be expected.

"Why a few little birdies have been telling me the most interesting of tales." A shit-eating grin on his face, Kol started dramatically counting off on his fingers. "First, there was Lucien. Then Marcel. I just managed to beat out Enzo to this little tête-à-tête. Why even our darling little sister had something to say."

The mention of Rebekah struck him. _Had she actually spoken to Caroline?_ He couldn't help wondering, the beginning curls of concern coiling in his gut. But when he spoke his tone was nonchalant, Klaus refused to confess to anything.

"Oh? And what tales might these be?"

"That you found a tasty little thing, Nik."

Klaus gave an involuntary twitch.

"Ah," Kol chuckled. "Struck a nerve did I? You know-"

Knowing it was too late for damage control now, Klaus simply hissed, "Say another word and I'll tear out your liver."

His brother simply raised his eyebrows in interest even as he held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, Nik. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

* * *

"So, mate," Enzo started, throwing an arm over his shoulders. Klaus' eyes fell shut in exasperation even as he shrugged the arm off. "What's this I've been hearing about a bird that caught your fancy?"

* * *

A knock sounded on the door. With one last fluff of her curls, Caroline walked over to pull the door open.

Klaus greeted her with a small smile, his eyes soft.

"You look breathtaking, Caroline."

She beamed at him taking in the fine cut of his suit, the deep blue of his dress shirt that perfectly accented his eyes.

"Not so bad yourself, handsome," she said peering at him from beneath her lashes, her grin turning a bit coy. Head cocking, she shifted gears. "So, you never did tell me where we were going though. You know I don't like surprises." Despite her words, she was more teasing and curious than actually annoyed.

"Well if I told you, love, then it wouldn't be a surprise," he said with a chuckle and eyebrow quirk.

Caroline pouted a bit.

"Exactly."

Klaus brushed his thumb against her lip, leaning in to give her a quick peck. He smiled as he pulled back.

"Nope, sorry, sweetheart."

He chucked at her disgruntled expression, leading her to the car.

* * *

Caroline stared slack jawed at their destination, running a nervous hand down the fabric of her cocktail dress. Suddenly, it didn't seem fancy enough.

"K-Klaus…how did you even…?"

Klaus took her nervously fluttering hand in his, rubbing his thumb across its back. Calming her nerves a little.

"Luck mainly."

"Oh my god. Oh my god." And the nerves came rushing back. Caroline whipped her head to face Klaus. "I can't let you pay for this Klaus!"

"Caroline, it's alright really."

"The cover charge is like $300 per person!" She whisper-shrieked, not sure how to handle this situation. A part of her was flattered, but it was also overwhelming. It didn't feel right, having Klaus drop so much money on one date.

"Sweetheart," he hesitated, taking in her mildly distraught features. "If it really makes you that uncomfortable, we don't have to go."

Her gut gave an uncomfortable twist at the hint of disappointment on his face, but it was the sincerity she read in his eyes that finally calmed her.

She took a breath, fortifying herself. "No, that would be even worse. I know you wouldn't get the money back." She reached up to cup his cheek, feeling his stubble under the caress of her thumb. She offered a half-hearted smirk. "Don't think we won't be talking about this later though."

Klaus laughed softly, briefly holding her hand against his face before removing it to press a kiss to her knuckles.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, sweetheart."

* * *

Caroline continued to walk, Klaus by her side, her arm looped through his. It was very old-school gentlemen of him, a trait she had discovered Klaus occasionally exhibited. And when he did, he somehow managed to skirt the line between cheesy and patronizing. Who would have ever thought he could end up being sweet, after his disastrous first impression?

Smiling at her thoughts, Caroline tilted her head to regard the star of them.

"Thank you for this, Klaus, it was wonderful." A little bit of her good cheer faded as the rest of her thoughts resurfaced. She shifted, feeling uncomfortable once more with how expensive this date was. Klaus must have been attuned to her as he noticed almost instantly, gently tugging her to a halt. He guided them over to a stone bench where they could sit.

"You have questions." He didn't look at her for a moment, facing forward, forearms braced on his knees, fingers laced.

"I-I-," Caroline bit her lip, not wanting to seem ungrateful. She turned to face him resting a hand on the arm closest to her. "It's not that I don't appreciate the gesture. It was really sweet. But it was also really surprising. I mean we're students, by nature we're pretty much all broke. I just feel uncomfortable with that amount of money being spent on me. It's like I'm put in a position where I'm indebted to you, you know? Like I can't match this to repay you."

Klaus turned to face her, looking troubled by her words.

"No! That was never my intention, Caroline. You should never feel obligated to do anything for me. " He let out a breath, running the hand not in her grasp through his hair. "And the money is not a concern for me." Trailing off, he seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say next.

Caroline slid her hand down his arm to lace their fingers together, giving a gentle squeeze.

"Okay, I believe you."

Klaus turned to look at her, searching her eyes for something. He must have found what he was looking for, as he squeezed her hand back and continued.

"The man who raised me was very…stern. He tended to be harsh in his dealings with all his children, but none more so than me. I found out a few years ago it was because I wasn't his biological son." Klaus let out a bitter sounding chuckle. "And I found out because when my biological father died, he named me as the sole beneficiary to both his life insurance policy and his will. His way of apologizing apparently."

Caroline didn't say anything for a moment, only leaned over to rest her weight again Klaus' side, sensing he might recoil from the hug she wanted to envelope him in.

"I can't imagine what it was like having a father who's present, but doesn't love you enough. Mine at least did it from a distance. It hurt, watching him run off with someone else over my mom. Dote on his partner's family like it was his own. Casting us aside with ease. But we reconciled eventually. I'm sorry you never got that chance with either of your fathers."

Klaus just exhaled a shaky breath.

"Well, I'm not. …But I'm glad that one of them gave me the means to do things like this for you." He turned to look at her again, gently brushing a curl behind her ear. "The way your face lit up, when you finally relaxed. That , Caroline, was worth far more than the money I spent."

Caroline couldn't control the rush of blood that flooded her cheeks, still not used to Klaus' occasional moments of earnest intensity. She smiled.

"Okay," she said softly, before giving him a gentle poke in the chest, "but the next date is on me."

* * *

"Small town pageant winner. All around busy body. Almost certainly a teacher's pet. I really don't get you with my brother."

Caroline heaved a sigh, not quite ready to turn and face Klaus' sister for the second time. Not to mention that recitation of facts was a tad creepy. Sure, it probably wouldn't be that hard to Google, but still…Taking one last quick moment for herself, Caroline whirled around, smile pasted on her face.

"Rebekah, always a delight."

Rebekah just crossed her arms, expression deadpan, body language screaming how unimpressed she was. Not one to let that phase her, Caroline simply continued on.

"So, what brings you here today? I thought we settled the whole I'm dating your brother thing."

"That was before he took you to _Eleven Madison Park_."

Caroline conceded that could easily be a red flag. Purposefully relaxing her stance, she took a few steps to seat herself at the nearby bench.

"I doubt you'll take my word for it, but I didn't ask him to do that."

Rebekah didn't sit, satisfied in her ability to now literally stare down her foe.

"Funnily enough he said the same when I confronted him about it." Narrowing her eyes, Rebekah delivered a parting warning, "I don't know what you have on my brother, but I intend to find out. And when I do, I will ruin you."

That was a bit unnerving, even considering the fact that Caroline didn't have anything on Klaus.

* * *

When Rebekah returned home she received an ambush of her own.

"Enzo told me something rather interesting today."

Rebekah froze, instantly wary. Her brother's tone was cool and scarily collected. He wasn't facing her either, and she could see the stiffness of his muscles, even though his hands were crossed behind his back in a gesture of faux-casualness. She bit her lip, confessing was her only choice. Clearly, he already knew.

Lifting her chin in a show of false confidence, Rebekah stepped farther into her apartment, letting the door close behind her.

"I just wanted to get to know this Caroline you're dating, brother. Is that so wrong?"

Klaus turned around and stalked over to her.

"If you were anyone else, no, but I know you, little sister. Now, I'm only going to tell you this once. Whatever little plots you've concocted in your head to scare her away. Don't."

The look he leveled at her was utterly serious, not breaking eye contact with her once.

Rebekah was stunned, her eyes scanning his, looking for even a hint of uncertainty.

She found none.

"You're serious," she whispered.

* * *

For the third time, Caroline found her day disturbed by a blonde-haired she-devil.

"Get in loser, we're going shopping."

 _Wait, what? Was she quoting Mean Girls at her? What?_

"Excuse me?" Caroline blurted, not bothering to hide her shocked confusion.

Rebekah tossed her hair, flicking a switch to unlock the car doors.

"It turns out that Nik is actually serious about you."

Caroline just crossed her arms, confusion melting into annoyance.

"That doesn't explain why you're here, doing this."

"If you're going to be dating my brother, I need to know you."

Unimpressed, Caroline arched an eyebrow.

"I'm busy, Rebekah. My life doesn't revolve around your whims."

Muttering surely unflattering things under her breath, the girl reached for her cellphone, flicking it on an navigating to the app she wanted.

"Put your number in."

Hesitating for a moment, Caroline wondered if it was wise to concede to a different demand. After a moment, Caroline shook her head.

"Ask your brother for it."

Rebekah's eyes narrowed, although she thought she may have caught a hint of respect in their icy depths.

"Fine," Rebekah finally bit out, tone tart.

* * *

Caroline's phone buzzed. Pulling it revealed a single curt message.

 _When are you free? - Unknown_

It wasn't hard to suspect who this new unknown number belonged to. Three guesses and the first two don't count.

 _...Who is this? - Caroline_

 _Rebekah - Unknown_

 _When are you free? - Rebekah_

Even if she had only encountered Rebekah thrice now, Caroline knew that the girl was beyond persistent. Pondering her options, she finally settled on dealing with this as soon as possible.

 _Tmrw after 3 - Caroline_

 _Excellent. I will be waiting by the library. - Rebekah_

 _Don't be late. - Rebekah_

* * *

Caroline forced herself to sit in a semi-relaxed position. It wasn't a complete success, she could feel the tension in her back, but it was a good approximation as she leaned her shoulder against the car door, thumb scrolling through her Instagram.

The two blondes sat in awkward silence, Rebekah half-glaring through the windshield, and Caroline in no mood to break the ice first. She certainly wasn't going to make this situation easy on the other blonde. Besides, if she opened her mouth she would either awkwardly babble or verbally eviscerate the other girl, neither of which would make this terrible experience better.

It was Rebekah that finally bit the bullet.

"So, how did you even meet my brother?"

Caroline felt her lip twitch, their first encounter now filling her with fond amusement.

"I didn't like him much at all originally. He was kinda an ass." Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline saw Rebekah hide a tiny smirk, obviously familiar with her brother's more asshole-ish tendencies. "But I managed to rope him into helping with my charity event, and well..." Caroline trailed off with a little shrug. "He grew on me."

"Yes," Rebekah conceded with a wry tone, "Nik does tend to be a persistent bugger."

Caroline nodded with a tiny airy laugh as that surely ran in the family, but soon after the car returned to its previous awkward silence. Thankfully, they reached their destination soon after. Smoothly turning into a parking garage, Rebekah led the way to a clothing store across the street.

Judging by the storefront, it appeared to be a fairly high end boutique, which had Caroline biting her lip in concern. A quick glance at one of the tags confirmed her fear, she barely kept her eyes from widening at the multi-hundred dollar shirt.

"Rebekah," she hissed, "I don't know what kind of money you think I'm making as an _undergrad_ , but I cannot afford to shop here."

With a derisive snort and a pointed eyeing of her appearance, Rebekah waved her off.

"That's blatantly obvious. Which is why," Rebekah fished a card from her wallet, "you're going to be shopping on my brother's dime."

Caroline's mouth fell open before she could stop it.

"Excuse me? Weren't you the one that implied I was a gold-digger. Even if that were true, which it's not," she emphasized with a glare, "I would definitely be smart enough not to prove it right in front of you."

"Well, this is actually with Nik's approval." Catching Caroline's look of disbelief, Rebekah added, "Call him if you don't believe me."

Pivoting on her heel to do just that, Caroline shouldered the door open, not wanting to start what was bound to be an argument in the quiet and small upscale store.

Holding her ringing phone to her ear, she tapped her foot in agitation.

"Hello, Caroline." His normal half-flirtatious, half-affectionate greeting didn't calm her this time.

"Don't 'Hello, Caroline' me!"

Ignoring her indignant tone Klaus continued, "I gather you're shopping with Rebekah?"

"Well, I am out with Rebekah _and_ at a clothing store, but I'm hardly _shopping_. Look, I won't spend several hundred dollars on a single clothing item let alone buy several. And I'm definitely not doing it with your money."

When Klaus next spoke she could hear his mild exasperation.

"Trust me, Caroline, I know how my sister can be a trial at times. She's also stubborn as all us Mikaelson's are. So she won't budge on where you go to shop. Just take my card, love, you don't have to purchase anything."

"Klaus," Caroline groaned, "this is ridiculous."

"Please, just indulge her. Sometimes she'll surprise you."

Caroline rubbed her forehead, already feeling exhausted. After a few moments of silence, she capitulated, as she did want to know Klaus' sister, at least a little.

"The things I do for you," she grumbled. Not in the mood to chat, she quickly hung up the phone after a parting, goodbye. She stalked back into the store, shoving her phone into her purse as she went.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

As it turned out, the Mikaelson's life motto was clearly "be stubborn and shock the hell out of your opponents". Or at least that's what it's been in Caroline's experience, as this was the second time one succeeded in changing her initial opinion. Klaus was much more suave about it, but Rebekah's about face was a legitimate shock.

The start to their trip was awkward to say the least, but their snipes turned into banter by the end, the underlying nastiness dissipated. It probably helped that even with her brother's verbal approval, Caroline only ended up buying one day dress. The way the other blonde's eyes widened for a split second was rather telling.

"I had a good time today, Rebekah." Caroline's voice held a tinge of surprise and amusement. With a playful smirk she added, "Your brother did warn me that you could be surprising."

Rebekah smirked back.

"And you're not awful, Forbes. Nik could certainly stand to do worse." That was the equivalent of high praise all things considered. Also, Caroline may have gotten a slight kick out of the irony of being on the receiving end of a "maybe you're not terrible" comment.

* * *

Caroline groaned as she tried to smother herself with her own pillow. Unfortunately, it did nothing for the noises coming from the next room.

Thuds and creaking springs intermixed with moans and growls and shrieking. If she didn't know better she would think someone was being murdered. Frankly, since it was Kat, maybe someone really was being murdered.

As if to punctuate her thought, another particularly loud bang shook the wall. _That's it!_ She thought launching herself out of bed. Grabbing the first bra she could find and wiggling into it as she jammed flip flops onto her feet, Caroline dashed for the exit.

In the past, she had made the mistake of trying to confront Kat and got to see far more of her friend and her sexual kinks than she ever wanted. Now knowing better, Caroline simply grabbed her keys and bolted.

* * *

THUD THUD THUD

Klaus grumbled wondering who was bothering him at, he glanced at the clock, 12:47 AM. It's not like he was sleeping, but he certainly didn't wish to receive any guests or even talk to anyone at the moment. He contemplated ignoring whoever his nighttime visitor was, but the thuds on his door kept coming.

Irritated and fully intending to give his disturber the full brunt of it, he threw open his door.

And froze.

Annoyance melting away, a smile curled across his lips. "Hello, Caroline."

Even in her rumpled ensemble, hair in a messy bun, face bare of makeup, clothed only in an old cheer-camp t-shirt and pajama shorts, Klaus thought she looked beautiful. He enjoyed the moments when he got to see her with most of her barriers down, relaxed and comfortable in his presence.

Caroline looked a bit sheepish, "Sorry for just showing up like this. I should have at least texted, before pounding on your door."

Knowing a ramble was on its way, he gently interjected. "You know you're always welcome here, sweetheart. Although I do wonder what brought you over in such a hurry."

As he spoke he stepped back, ushering her through the door, a guiding hand on her back.

Upon hearing his question, Caroline released an exasperated groan, throwing her hands up in disgust as she shifted to avoid hitting him.

"Kat sexiled me. Or rather, I sexiled myself when I started to fear death by falling wall decoration."

Sympathetic and more glad than ever that he lived alone, Klaus just nodded with a grimace.

"Drink?" He inquired, half-turning toward the kitchen.

Caroline shrugged.

"Just water is fine."

Familiar with his apartment, Caroline followed behind him and settled on the love seat in his living room. She reached for the remote to queue up Netflix, thanking Klaus for the glass of water when he returned and settled beside her.

"Any preference?" She asked, aimlessly scrolling through the listings.

Klaus shook his head with a muttered no, easily settling into the space beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to tug her towards him. She shifted easily, relaxing against him.

The two didn't speak much, simply enjoying the others company. Klaus had no idea what Caroline even put on, too busy gazing at her. His hand fiddled with her curls, occasionally brushing the skin of her neck. Meanwhile, Caroline wasn't paying it any attention either, starting to doze off into an easy slumber. The warmth of Klaus' touch, his scent around her, the sounds of his heart and breathing all easily lulled her to sleep.

* * *

Caroline shifted with a grumpy groan as light shone onto her face. Groping around for a pillow, she clumsily dragged it over her face. Letting out a happy sigh, she resettled about to slip back into sleep, until a quiet masculine chuckle reached her ears.

 _Wait…masculine?_

Flinging the pillow aside she quickly remembered where she was as her gaze landed on Klaus' face. His expression an interesting blend of amusement and sheepishness.

"You can go back to sleep, sweetheart," he uttered, tone soft and fond, "I didn't mean to disturb you."

Glancing over at the clock, Caroline let out a sigh.

"It's already 8:30, I might as well get up."

Flipping to her side, Caroline stretched before rolling her way out of bed. With a soft thud of her feet on the carpet, she finally stood, ruffling her sleep flattened curls and slowly starting to make her way toward the kitchen.

Klaus took a moment to admire her lovely arse before following.

"What do you want for breakfast, sweetheart?" He asked when he caught up to her. Caroline had already reached her destination and was rummaging through the cupboards and fridge.

"Hmm, I know what you're trying to do," she taunted playfully, not bothering to look up from what she was doing.

Klaus leaned back against the marble counter, still content to watch her flitting about.

"Oh? And what's that?"

Caroline finally emerged, arms laden with eggs, milk, and some vegetables.

"You're trying to pull the cliched boyfriend cooks breakfast/breakfast in bed routine. And normally I'd let you, but seeing how I did barge in last night..." She trailed off with a little hand gesture, pivoting to retrieve oil and spices. When she turned back around she sent him a questioning gaze. "So, I'm feeling omelettes. Do you want something else?"

Pushing off the counter, Klaus walked over to fetch the pan and other utensils.

"Omelettes work for me, love."

In the end, the two ended up sharing their self-imposed breakfast making duty. They easily managed to maneuver around each other like a well choreographed dance, splitting the task of making some delicious omelettes.

* * *

Forks scrapped against plates as the two sat to eat the fruits of their labor.

Swallowing a bite of egg, Klaus started to speak, tone casual.

"Despite the ah, unfortunate circumstances, it's quite convenient timing that you came to me." Standing Klaus turned to fish something out of a coffee mug sitting in the corner. "Seeing as I had this made for you a few days ago." Klaus smirked at her surprised face, hoping his nerves weren't obvious. He returned to his seat and extended his hand as he added, "do feel free to use this the next time dear Katerina chases you from your flat."

Caroline's eyes shifted from the gleaming silver key in his hands to his face and back again. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly for a moment, before she finally shoved down some of her shock. She reached out her own hand to take it from him, barely catching his quiet sigh of relief. Stroking her thumb across its teeth, she felt the slight imprint of his warmth on the metal. With a small but potent grin, filled to bursting with affection, Caroline slipped the key onto her key ring.

"Thank you, Klaus," she said softly.

Clearing his throat, Klaus appeared a bit awkward, but his eyes were as soft as his voice.

"Like I said, you're always welcome here, Caroline."

* * *

Caroline barged through the front door exhausted and cranky, dropping her keys in the decoupage plate on the entryway table. Her bag fell with a thump not too long after, the sound harsh with the weight of her textbooks.

Klaus appeared from the hallway not long after, drawn by the amount of noise she was making. He took in the picture of his ruffled girlfriend, currently in the processes of kicking off her ankle boots. Padding over, he reached his hands up to message her temples, her forehead falling onto his shoulder as she relaxed into him with a groan. She gave a little hum of pleasure as he kept his hands moving, shifting from her temple toward her scalp.

"Come on, love," he murmured, guiding her over to his couch, where he settled down, easily pulling her with him. Caroline continued to just lie there for a few more moments, Klaus' hands now rubbing her back.

"Bad day?" He inquired.

With a huff, she finally raised her head, arms braced on his chest. Her expression still had a trace of disgruntlement, and she glared at a dangling strand of hair in face, harshly blowing it out of the way before speaking.

Words poured out in a flood.

"Finals suck! And yeah, it's totally my own fault for taking 22 credits, but I really wanted to knock out the last of my gen eds. And several of my major requisite courses are only offered in the spring, which is so annoying. God, can't people properly schedule their course catalogs! Like you would think that the administration would know by now the most common combinations of classes and not make their exams overlap so horribly! It's not rocket science!"

Klaus let her ramble, sympathetic as he recalled some of his own nightmarish finals' weeks.

She pouted at him.

"I hate you, you don't get tests."

He gave her a half-smirk.

"No, one of the perks of being an art grad student. Still, we have portfolios and critiques so it's not quite a walk in the park, sweetheart."

She just grumbled at him.

* * *

Despite her earlier complaining, finals week eventually passed, and Caroline had a feeling she had maintained her 4.0 for the third year in a row, something she was immensely proud of. The celebratory sex to give the year a proper send off didn't hurt either of course.

* * *

Klaus traced patterns on the bare skin of Caroline's shoulder. She hummed, eyes still closed.

"You know, I never told you why I was so dismissive of you when we first met."

Caroline's lashes fluttered in confusion as she opened them and twisted to look over at Klaus.

"It hardly matters now…?"

Klaus made a noncommittal noise. Now concerned, Caroline rolled onto her left side to fully face her boyfriend.

"What brought this up, Nik?"

His hand, having been dislodged by her turn, moved to fiddle with her hair instead, staring at it intently.

"I never told you about my youngest brother, Rebekah's twin, not Kol."

Caroline stayed quiet, knowing he just needed her to listen.

"His name was Henrik. By far the kindest of us, if I didn't know better I would think that he was the one with a different father." Klaus released a bitter laugh, and shook his head. "He was 10 when leukemia took him from us, just a boy."

Caroline took in a sharp breath. Klaus finally looked into her eyes, his own appearing grief stricken. Nearly a decade later and it still hurt. She reached for the hand still tangled in her hair, interlinking their fingers and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"The anniversary of his death… I'm always more of an asshat, as you would say, on that day." His lips quirked in an expression of self-mocking. "And then," he untangled their hands reaching over with both of his to cup her face. His thumbs stroked over her cheeks reverently. "And then, I got my arse handed to me by a fiery, blonde Valkyrie. For the first time, I could feel something other than grief or resentment on that day."

Heart aching with empathy, Caroline slid forward curling herself around Klaus, trying to hug as much of him as she could. She felt him reciprocate, his arms clutching her back, head buried in her hair.

Unprompted, Caroline muttered her own confession against the skin of Klaus' shoulder.

"My mom developed cancer when I was starting high school. She barely managed to beat it, but even now I still fear that it will come out of remission. It's part of why I was angry with you that day."

Her confession surprised him as his did her. She could tell by the way he stiffened for a moment.

But he recovered quickly, pulling back to look at her face, arms still holding her tightly to him.

"Thank you, for giving me the chance to get to know you." He swallowed nervously, Adam's apple bobbing. "To love you," he finished, a note of awe in his tone.

Caroline's heart pounded warm and fluttering, her mind not even attempting to chide her for the feeling.

"Thank _you_ , Nik, for challenging me to see that you were worth loving."

* * *

 **Extra: Operation Manolo Mischief**

"Mason, what are you doing here?"

Operation Distraction was a go. While Kat grilled their guest over his sudden appearance, Caroline used the opportunity to slip into Kat's bedroom. The door swung open soundlessly and she made sure to avoid the one squeaky floorboard to the right of the entryway.

She inched her way toward the closet.

"No, really why are you here? We don't do serious, Mason." The voices were moving closer and Caroline let out an inaudible hiss as she crouched in the shadows, cursing Mason in her head as she did so. She _specifically_ told him to steer Katherine _away_ from the bedrooms.

Soon the voices faded back toward the living room, and Caroline continued her quest. The back wall of the closet was lined with tall shoe racks completely filled with expensive heels. Finding the correct pair, she eased them out of their compartment.

With silent footfalls, Caroline retraced her steps. She took a quick peek out, seeing the coast was clear, she raced for her own room where she hid the shoes in a box and buried them among tomorrow's 5k supplies.

With a mental pat on the back for a job well done, she decided to rescue Mason.

…In a few minutes, proper punishment for his near failure.

* * *

"Kat you are going to be helpful tomorrow, and do it with a smile. 100% effort."

"Sure, sure, Carebear."

"I'm serious, Kat. I don't make idle threats."

When the brunette discovered the glaringly missing pair of shoes her expression was deadly. A nervous sweat collected on Caroline's back, but she just raised her chin with a challenging expression.

A tense moment passed before Katherine cocked her head, looking almost impressed.

"…Well played, Forbes, well played."

* * *

 **Extra: The Other Side**

Klaus slipped away into the shadows, keeping an eye out for the woman who brought him here. He didn't want her to know what he was about to do, not because he felt ashamed, but because he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. It wasn't meant as a slight or a bribe or anything of the sort.

Leaning against a tree, purposefully casual, Klaus pulled out his phone. Using one of the QR codes printed on all the informational flyers, he navigated the web page until he found the link for additional donations.

Without hesitation he typed in "For Henrik," inputted the number of his checking account, but left the rest of the donor information blank. Cursor blinking in the "Amount" box he contemplated how much would be appropriate. The amount he wanted to give would raise even more flags than the number he finally settled on.

$100,000.

Submit.


End file.
